Surgical instruments, related systems, and related methods

ABSTRACT

A surgical instrument includes a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end. An end effector assembly includes an end effector body portion coupled to the distal end of the shaft. A cable having a distal end feature extending radially outwardly from the cable extends through the shaft between the proximal end of the shaft and the distal end of the shaft. A proximal surface of the distal end feature of the cable abuts a distal surface portion of the end effector body portion. A method of assembling a surgical instrument including an end effector body and a retaining member includes inserting a distal end feature of a cable within a recess in the end effector body and positioning a retaining member over the recess in the end effector body to retain the distal end feature of the cable within the retaining member.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application claims priority to and the benefit of the filingdate of U.S. Provisional Patent Application 62/421,029, entitled“SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS, RELATED SYSTEMS, AND RELATED METHODS” filed Nov.11, 2016, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to surgical instruments andrelated systems and methods.

INTRODUCTION

Various surgical instruments are used to perform surgical procedures ona patient's body. Such surgical instruments often include numerouscomponents that must be coupled to one another. For example, surgicalinstruments include components such as shafts, joints (e.g., wrists),end effectors, etc. Coupling such components can be difficult becausemany components are made from dissimilar materials, such as metals ormetal alloys, polymers, ceramic, etc. Additionally, the surgicalinstruments are typically subject to relatively large forces duringsetup and use. Thus, robust mechanical connections between the variouscomponents are desired to help ensure reliability of the surgicalinstruments. Due to the dissimilar materials and large forces, couplingmethods such as welding and adhesive coupling are sometimes impossibleor impractical to use. Further, some coupling procedures, such as laserwelding, utilize relatively expensive tooling and equipment, therebyincreasing the cost of manufacture. Additionally, because of criteriafor a small overall diameter of the surgical instrument, there islimited space for some hardware solutions, such as nuts and bolts,screws, or other mechanical retainers.

In addition, as noted above, many surgical instruments include jointssuch as wrists that impart one or more degrees of freedom of movementto, e.g., an end effector of the surgical instrument. Such joints arecommonly actuated by cables extending through a shaft of the surgicalinstrument between the joint and an assembly, such as a forcetransmission mechanism, that controls movement of the cables. Robustmechanical coupling of the cables to the wrist is desirable for reliableoperation of the surgical instrument.

A need exists to provide a surgical instrument with mechanicalconnections configured for reliable mechanical connections between thevarious components of the surgical instrument, while maintaining a smalloverall size of the surgical instrument and low cost of manufacturing.

Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may solve one or more ofthe above-mentioned problems and/or may demonstrate one or more of theabove-mentioned desirable features. Other features and/or advantages maybecome apparent from the description that follows.

Additional objects, features, and/or advantages will be set forth inpart in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious fromthe description, or may be learned by practice of the present disclosureand/or claims. At least some of these objects and advantages may berealized and attained by the elements and combinations particularlypointed out in the appended claims.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description andthe following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory onlyand are not restrictive of the claims; rather the claims should beentitled to their full breadth of scope, including equivalents.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present disclosure can be understood from the following detaileddescription, either alone or together with the accompanying drawings.The drawings are included to provide a further understanding of thepresent disclosure, and are incorporated in and constitute a part ofthis specification. The drawings illustrate one or more exemplaryembodiments of the present teachings and together with the descriptionserve to explain certain principles and operation. In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a distal end portion of a surgicalinstrument according to an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure, withthe shaft removed;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional elevation view of a surgical instrument endeffector assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of thedisclosure;

FIG. 3 is a perspective, partial exploded view of a portion of an endeffector assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of thedisclosure;

FIG. 4 is another perspective view of the portion of the end effectorassembly according to the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a retaining member of an end effectorassembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure; and

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the distal end portion of the surgicalinstrument according to the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, a surgicalinstrument includes various components coupled to one another throughinteraction with an enlarged distal end of a cable of the surgicalinstrument. For example, in an exemplary embodiment, a proximal face ofthe enlarged distal end of the cable abuts a portion of an end effectorbody to retain the end effector to a distal surface of a component ofthe surgical instrument, such as a distal surface of an articulatablejoint of the surgical instrument. In some exemplary embodiments, the endeffector body includes a recess configured to receive the enlargeddistal end of the cable. A shoulder of the end effector body partiallydefines the recess, and at least a first portion of the proximal face ofthe enlarged distal end of the cable abuts the shoulder of the endeffector body.

In exemplary embodiments, the surgical instrument includes a retainingmember configured to retain the enlarged distal end of the cable withinthe recess of the end effector body. For example, the retaining membersurrounds at least a portion of the end effector body including the oneor more recesses. In an assembled position with the end effector bodyand the cable of the surgical instrument, the retaining member holds theenlarged end of the cable in place within the recess of the end effectorbody. In some exemplary embodiments, the retaining member includes ashoulder which, in the assembled position of the retaining member withthe end effector body and cable of the surgical instrument, abuts asecond portion of the proximal face of the enlarged end of the cable.Tension applied to the cable is transferred through the shoulders of theend effector body and the retaining member and holds the end effectorbody and retaining member axially against a distal surface of acomponent of the surgical instrument, such as a distal surface of anarticulatable joint coupled with a shaft of the surgical instrument.

In some exemplary embodiments, the enlarged end of the cable is a barrelend. The barrel end is attached to the cable by crimping, soldering,welding, mechanical interference between the barrel end and the cable(e.g., an interference fit), or other methods. In some exemplaryembodiments, the body of the end effector is made from an electricallyinsulating material, such as a polymer. In exemplary embodiments, theretaining member is configured to provide lateral support to the endeffector body. In some exemplary embodiments, the retaining member ismade from a material exhibiting greater mechanical strength (e.g., yieldstrength) than a material of the end effector body. For example, in anexemplary embodiment, the end effector body is made from a polymer,while the retaining member is made from a metal or metal alloy, such asstainless steel.

Exemplary embodiments described herein can be used, for example, withteleoperated, computer-assisted surgical systems (sometimes referred toas robotic surgical systems) such as those described in, for example,U.S. Patent App. Pub. No. US 2013/0325033 A1 (published Dec. 5, 2013),entitled “Multi-Port Surgical Robotic System Architecture,” U.S. PatentApp. Pub. No. US 2013/0325031 A1 (published Dec. 5, 2013), entitled“Redundant Axis and Degree of Freedom for Hardware-Constrained RemoteCenter Robotic Manipulator,” and U.S. Pat. No. 8,852,208 (issued Oct. 7,2014), entitled “Surgical System Instrument Mounting,” and U.S. Pat. No.8,545,515 (issued Oct. 1, 2013), entitled Curved Cannula SurgicalSystem, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in itsentirety. Further, the exemplary embodiments described herein may beused, for example, with a da Vinci® Surgical System, such as the daVinci Si® Surgical System or the da Vinci Xi® Surgical System, both withor without Single-Site® single orifice surgery technology, allcommercialized by Intuitive Surgical, Inc. Although the above referencesdiscuss surgical instruments and other devices related to a patient sidecart of a teleoperated surgical system, the present disclosure is notlimited to use with surgical instruments for a teleoperated surgicalsystem. For example, various exemplary embodiments described herein canoptionally be used in conjunction with hand-held, manual surgicalinstruments, such as laparoscopic instruments.

Referring now to FIG. 1, an exemplary embodiment of a surgicalinstrument 100 is shown in perspective view. The surgical instrument 100includes an end effector assembly 102 coupled with a surgical instrumentshaft 104 (a portion of which is shown in transparent view to viewcomponents interior to the shaft) by an articulatable joint 106positioned at a distal end 108 of the shaft 104. The articulatable joint106 includes one or more wrists 110 and 111, each of which imparts adegree of freedom of motion (e.g., pitch, yaw, etc.) to the end effectorassembly 102 relative to the surgical instrument shaft 104. In theexemplary embodiment of FIG. 1, two wrists 110 and 111, each providingone of pitch and yaw degrees of freedom are shown, but a single wrist,three or more wrists, or other joint configurations (including, e.g.,joggle joints) are within the scope of the present disclosure. Further,some exemplary embodiments do not include any joint 106, and in suchembodiments the end effector assembly 102 is coupled directly to thedistal end of the surgical instrument shaft 104.

In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1, the shaft 104 is a flexible shaftconfigured for insertion through a curved cannula of a surgical system,and is formed of a polymer material such as fluorinated ethylenepropylene (FEP), polyphthalamide (PPA), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene(ABS), or other polymers. In other exemplary embodiments, the shaft 104is rigid, and is formed of a polymer such as those noted above, otherpolymers, metals or metal alloys, etc.

In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1, the end effector assembly 102 isa cautery tool with a cautery hook 112 surrounded by an insulatingmember 113 positioned partially within a distal portion of a bodyportion 118 of the end effector assembly 102. The cautery hook 112 isenergized by a source of electrosurgical energy, and is configured toapply electrosurgical energy to, e.g., tissue of a patient at a surgicalsite. For example, an electrically conductive conduit 114 isconductively coupled with the cautery hook 112 and supplies energy tothe cautery hook 112, from, for example, an electrosurgical generator.However, the disclosure is not limited to any particular type of endeffector, and in other exemplary embodiments, the end effector assembly102 can be any tool configured to seal, bond, ablate, fulgurate, etc.,or may include tools such as clamps, forceps, grippers, shears, or othersurgical tools without limitation.

Partly visible in FIG. 1 are cables 116 that extend through the shaft104 and through the articulatable joint 106. Tension is applied to thecables 116 via, for example, a transmission mechanism (not shown)coupled with a proximal end of the shaft 104. While the perspective ofFIG. 1 shows two cables 116, the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1 includesa total of four cables 116 spaced around the shaft, e.g., every 90degrees. Tension applied to the cables 116 causes articulation of thejoint 106. For example, in the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1, whentension is applied to the two cables 116 visible through thearticulatable joint 106, wrist 110 articulates such that the endeffector assembly 102 pivots out of the drawing plane (i.e., toward theviewer). Similarly, when two cables opposite the visible cables 116 aretensioned, wrist 110 articulates in the other direction such that theend effector assembly 102 pivots into the drawing plane (i.e., away fromthe viewer). When the cables 116 at the top of the surgical instrument100 in the orientation shown in FIG. 1 are tensioned, the wrist 111articulates such that the end effector 102 pivots upward. Similarly,when the cables 116 at the bottom of the surgical instrument 100 in theorientation shown in FIG. 1 are tensioned, wrist 111 articulates suchthat the end effector 102 pivots downward. While four cables 116 and twowrists 110, 111 are discussed in connection with the exemplaryembodiment of FIG. 1, other numbers of cables, such as fewer than fouror more than four cables 116, and fewer than two or more than two wristsare within the scope of the disclosure, and one of ordinary skill in theart would understand that the number of cables can be selected based onthe configuration of the surgical instrument and the desired movement.

As shown in FIG. 1, the end effector assembly 102 includes a bodyportion 118 and a retaining structure 120. As discussed in furtherdetail below, the body portion 118 and the retaining structure 120 areconfigured to couple with a barrel end attached to each of cables 116. Atensile load placed on the cables 116 is transferred to load-bearingshoulders of the body portion 118 and load-bearing shoulders of theretaining structure 120 to retain the end effector assembly 102 to adistal surface 107 of the articulatable joint 106. In the exemplaryembodiment of FIG. 1, the end effector body portion 118 is a polymermaterial, such as polyphthalamide (PPA), and is electrically insulatingto insulate the cautery hook 112, or other energized tool, from othercomponents of the end effector assembly 102 and surgical instrument 100.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a cross-sectional view of the end effectorassembly 102 and cables 116 is shown, with the portions of the surgicalinstrument 100 proximal of the end effector assembly 102, such as thearticulatable joint 106 and the shaft 104 not shown. As shown in FIG. 2,the end effector body portion 118 includes a shoulder 122 defining asurface against which a distal end feature extending radially outwardlyfrom the cable 116 rests (e.g., abuts). In the embodiment of FIG. 2, thedistal end feature is an enlarged end 124 (e.g., barrel end) coupledwith the cable 116. The retaining member 120 generally surroundsrecesses 126 of the body portion 118 in which the enlarged end 124 ofthe cable 116 is disposed. The retaining member 120 includes a shoulder128 against which the enlarged end 124 of the cable 116 rests (e.g.,abuts). As can be seen from the configuration shown in FIG. 2, when atensile force is applied to the cables 116, e.g., as indicated by “T,”the end effector body portion 118 and the retaining member 120 are heldagainst the distal surface 107 of the articulatable joint 106, as shownin FIG. 1, or, for example, against a distal surface of the shaft 104 inembodiments not including the articulatable joint 106.

As also shown in FIG. 2, the retaining member 120 includes an aperture130 into which a proximally extending portion 132 of the end effectorbody portion 118 extends. The proximally extending portion 132 of theend effector body portion 118 functions as a strain relief for theelectrically conductive conduit 114.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, perspective views of the end effectorbody portion 118 are shown. The end effector body portion 118 includesrecesses 126 configured to accept enlarged ends 124 of the cables 116. Aproximal face 134 of the enlarged end 124 is configured to abut theshoulder 122 of the end effector body portion 118 when the enlarged end124 is disposed within the recess 126. In the exemplary embodiment ofFIGS. 3 and 4, the end effector body portion 118 features a flat surface136 that functions in conjunction with a complementary surface (notshown) of the retaining member 120 (FIG. 2) as an index to ensure thatthe end effector body portion 118 and the retaining member 120 areassembled in the correct orientation. The portion of the end effectorbody portion 118 including the recesses 126 and the proximally extendingportion 132 can be referred to as a proximal portion 119 of the endeffector body portion 118.

Shown in FIG. 4 are load-bearing surfaces 138 of the shoulders 122 ofthe end effector body portion 118. In the assembled state of thesurgical instrument, the proximal face 134 of the enlarged end 124 ofthe cable 116 (FIG. 3) abuts the load-bearing surface 138, and tensileforce (e.g., force “T” in FIG. 2) retains the end effector body portionagainst the distal surface 107 (FIG. 1) of the articulatable joint 106.

Referring now to FIG. 5, a perspective view of the retaining member 120is shown. In exemplary embodiments, the retaining member 120 isconfigured to receive at least the proximal portion 119 of the endeffector body portion 118 and to retain the enlarged ends 124 of thecables 116 within the recesses 126. The retaining member 120 is alsoconfigured to include shoulders 140, which, in the assembled state ofthe surgical instrument, abut the proximal surfaces 134 of the enlargedends 124 of the cables 116, and the tensile force “T” (FIG. 2) appliedto the cables 116 holds the retaining member 120 in place against thedistal surface 107 of the articulatable joint 106. In some exemplaryembodiments, the contours of the shoulders 140 are configured to becomplementary to the contours of the shoulders 122 (FIGS. 3 and 4) ofthe end effector body portion 118. For example, when in the assembledstate, the shoulders 140 of the retaining member 120 and the shoulders122 of the end effector body portion 118 form contiguous surfacesagainst which the proximal surface 134 of the enlarged ends 124 of thecables 116 abut. In addition, in exemplary embodiments, the retainingmember 120 is configured to provide support and strength to the endeffector body portion 118. For example, because the end effector bodyportion 118 is made from a polymer material according to an exemplaryembodiment, in the absence of the retaining member 120, the end effectorbody portion 118 could be susceptible to deformation, cracking, etc. ifthe tensile loads placed on the cables 116 result in stresses within theend effector body portion 118 exceeding the yield strength of thematerial of the end effector body portion 118. Because the retainingmember 120 is made from stainless steel in the embodiment of FIG. 5, theretaining member 120 provides a higher yield strength compared to thematerial of the end effector body portion 118, and the retaining member120 imparts additional strength to the end effector assembly 102 andprevents tensile loads from deforming the end effector body portion 118.In addition, lateral support provided by the complementary contours ofthe retaining member additionally ensure the end effector body portion118 does not deform under tensile loads applied by the cables 116.

In exemplary embodiments, the retaining member 120 includes featuresconfigured to retain the enlarged ends 124 of the cables 116 within therecesses 126 of the end effector body portion 118. For example, as shownin FIG. 5, the retaining member 120 includes an annular portion 142configured to retain the enlarged ends 124 of the cables 116 within therecesses 126 of the end effector body portion 118. Reliefs 144 provideclearance for the retaining member 120 to be placed over the enlargedends 124 of the cables 116 when the enlarged ends 124 are placed withinthe recesses 126 of the end effector body. Also visible in FIG. 5 is theaperture 130 through which the proximally extending portion 132 (FIGS. 3and 4) of the end effector body portion 118 extends when the retainingmember 120 and end effector body portion 118 are assembled together. Thecables 116 extend through holes 146 of the retaining member 120 when thecomponents are in the assembled state. One or more notches 148 in aproximal portion of the retaining member 120 interface with one or morecorresponding tabs (not shown) on the articulatable joint 106 (or distalend of the shaft 104 in embodiments not including the articulatablejoint 106) to rotationally align the retaining member 120 and endeffector body portion 118 with the articulatable joint 106 and the shaft104.

Referring now to FIG. 6, an exploded view of the surgical instrument 100is shown. Various methods of assembly are discussed below in connectionwith FIG. 6 according to exemplary embodiments of the presentdisclosure, but such methods are by way of example only, not limitation.For example, to begin assembling the surgical instrument 100, theinsulating member 113 is assembled with the cautery hook 112. Theinsulating member 113 is made from, e.g., a ceramic insulating material,such as porcelain, glass, alumina, or other insulating material. Theelectrically conductive conduit 114, which, in the exemplary embodimentof FIG. 6, includes a core 154 of conductive material (such as copper oranother metal or metal alloy) covered by an insulating jacket 156, iscoupled with the cautery hook 112 by, for example, crimping a portion ofthe hook 112 around the conductive material 154, soldering theconductive material 154 to the hook 112, etc.

The assembly of the cautery hook 112, the insulating member 113, andelectrically conductive conduit 114 are placed in a mold, and the endeffector body portion 118 is molded (e.g., by injection molding) aroundthe cautery hook 112 and insulating member 113. In an exemplaryembodiment, the end effector body portion 118 is made from a polymersuch as polyphthalamide, or other polymers, such as those noted byexample above. The cautery hook 112 and the insulating member 113include various features configured to interface with the material ofthe end effector body portion 118 to retain the cautery hook, insulatingmember 113, and end effector body portion together. For example, theinsulating member 113 includes an annular recess 150 (also shown in FIG.2) that fills with the material of the end effector body portion 118 asthe end effector body portion 118 is molded around the insulating member113. The portion of the end effector body portion 118 within the annularrecess 150 ensures the insulating member 113 remains coupled with theend effector body portion 118. In addition, the cautery hook 112includes one or more transverse holes 152, which also fill with materialof the end effector body portion 118 as the end effector body portion118 is molded, thereby providing axial and rotational coupling of thecautery hook 112 and the end effector body portion 118.

Following molding of the end effector body portion 118 around thecautery hook 112 and insulating member 113, assembly of the surgicalinstrument 100 is continued by threading each of cables 116 throughrespective holes 146 (FIG. 5) in the retaining member 120, through thearticulating joint 106, and through the shaft 104 (FIG. 1). With theenlarged ends 124 of the cables 116 extending beyond the retainingmember 120 as shown in FIG. 6, the enlarged ends 124 are placed withinrespective recesses 126 of the end effector body portion 118. The cables116 are then pulled taut through the shaft 104 and the articulatablejoint 106 so that the end effector body portion 118 and retaining member120 are pulled flush against the distal surface 107 of the articulatablejoint 106.

Surgical instruments of the disclosure may exhibit various advantagesover other configurations of surgical instruments. For example, in someconventional designs, various portions of the surgical instrument arecoupled by laser-welding processes. Such processes typically requireexpensive tooling, and once welded, the surgical instrument cannot bedisassembled. Surgical instruments of the present disclosure potentiallyrequire less tooling and equipment for manufacture. In addition,surgical instruments of the present disclosure can be disassembled byreversing the steps of assembly, thereby facilitating replacement of theend effector components, the articulatable joint, the shaft 104, etc.Further, because the enlarged ends of the cables are contained withinthe retaining member, if the enlarged ends or cables fail during use(e.g., during a surgical operation in which the end effector is locatedat a surgical site), the failed component would remain contained withinthe end effector assembly.

This description and the accompanying drawings that illustrate exemplaryembodiments should not be taken as limiting. Various mechanical,compositional, structural, electrical, and operational changes may bemade without departing from the scope of this description and theinvention as claimed, including equivalents. In some instances,well-known structures and techniques have not been shown or described indetail so as not to obscure the disclosure. Like numbers in two or morefigures represent the same or similar elements. Furthermore, elementsand their associated features that are described in detail withreference to one embodiment may, whenever practical, be included inother embodiments in which they are not specifically shown or described.For example, if an element is described in detail with reference to oneembodiment and is not described with reference to a second embodiment,the element may nevertheless be claimed as included in the secondembodiment.

For the purposes of this specification and appended claims, unlessotherwise indicated, all numbers expressing quantities, percentages, orproportions, and other numerical values used in the specification andclaims, are to be understood as being modified in all instances by theterm “about,” to the extent they are not already so modified.Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parametersset forth in the following specification and attached claims areapproximations that may vary depending upon the desired propertiessought to be obtained. At the very least, and not as an attempt to limitthe application of the doctrine of equivalents to the scope of theclaims, each numerical parameter should at least be construed in lightof the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinaryrounding techniques.

It is noted that, as used in this specification and the appended claims,the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the,” and any singular use of anyword, include plural referents unless expressly and unequivocallylimited to one referent. As used herein, the term “include” and itsgrammatical variants are intended to be non-limiting, such thatrecitation of items in a list is not to the exclusion of other likeitems that can be substituted or added to the listed items.

Further, this description's terminology is not intended to limit theinvention. For example, spatially relative terms—such as “beneath”,“below”, “lower”, “above”, “upper”, “proximal”, “distal”, and thelike—may be used to describe one element's or feature's relationship toanother element or feature as illustrated in the figures. Thesespatially relative terms are intended to encompass different positions(i.e., locations) and orientations (i.e., rotational placements) of adevice in use or operation in addition to the position and orientationshown in the figures. For example, if a device in the figures is turnedover, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements orfeatures would then be “above” or “over” the other elements or features.Thus, the exemplary term “below” can encompass both positions andorientations of above and below. A device may be otherwise oriented(rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relativedescriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.

Further modifications and alternative embodiments will be apparent tothose of ordinary skill in the art in view of the disclosure herein. Forexample, the devices and methods may include additional components orsteps that were omitted from the diagrams and description for clarity ofoperation. Accordingly, this description is to be construed asillustrative only and is for the purpose of teaching those skilled inthe art the general manner of carrying out the present teachings. It isto be understood that the various embodiments shown and described hereinare to be taken as exemplary. Elements and materials, and arrangementsof those elements and materials, may be substituted for thoseillustrated and described herein, parts and processes may be reversed,and certain features of the present teachings may be utilizedindependently, all as would be apparent to one skilled in the art afterhaving the benefit of the description herein. Changes may be made in theelements described herein without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe present teachings and following claims.

It is to be understood that the particular examples and embodiments setforth herein are non-limiting, and modifications to structure,dimensions, materials, and methodologies may be made without departingfrom the scope of the present disclosure.

Other embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure will beapparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of thespecification and practice of the exemplary embodiments disclosedherein. It is intended that the specification and examples be consideredas exemplary only, with the following claims being entitled to theirfullest breadth, including equivalents, under the applicable law.

What is claimed is:
 1. A surgical instrument, comprising: a shaft havinga proximal end and a distal end; an end effector assembly comprising anend effector body portion coupled to the distal end of the shaft; and acable having a distal end feature extending radially outwardly from thecable, the cable extending through the shaft between the proximal end ofthe shaft and the distal end of the shaft; wherein a proximal surface ofthe distal end feature of the cable abuts a distal surface portion ofthe end effector body portion.
 2. The surgical instrument of claim 1,further comprising: an articulatable joint disposed between the distalend of the shaft and the end effector, the articulatable joint beingconfigured to articulate the end effector assembly in at least one ofpitch and yaw relative to the shaft, and wherein the cable is configuredto control articulation of the articulable joint.
 3. The surgicalinstrument of claim 1, wherein the cable comprises four cables spacedaround the end effector assembly.
 4. The surgical instrument of claim 1,wherein the end effector body portion comprises a shoulder, the distalend surface portion being on the shoulder.
 5. The surgical instrument ofclaim 4, wherein end effector body comprises a recess at least partiallydefined by the shoulder and configured to receive the distal end featureof the cable.
 6. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the endeffector assembly further comprises a retaining member configured toreceive a proximal portion of the end effector body portion.
 7. Thesurgical instrument of claim 6, wherein the retaining member comprises ashoulder configured to abut the proximal surface of the distal endfeature of the cable.
 8. The surgical instrument of claim 6, wherein theretaining member is configured to surround the proximal portion of theend effector body portion.
 9. The surgical instrument of claim 6,wherein the retaining member comprises an annular portion configured tocircumferentially surround the proximal portion of the end effector bodyportion.
 10. The surgical instrument of claim 1, wherein the distal endfeature of the cable comprises a barrel end feature crimped to thecable.
 11. A surgical instrument, comprising: a shaft having a proximalend and a distal end; an end effector assembly, comprising: an endeffector body portion coupled to the distal end of the shaft; and aretaining member configured to receive a portion of the end effectorbody; and a cable with a distal end feature extending radially outwardlyfrom the cable, the cable extending through the shaft between theproximal end and the distal end; wherein a first portion of a proximalsurface of the distal end feature of the cable abuts a surface of theend effector body and a second portion of the proximal surface of thedistal end feature of the cable abuts a surface of the retaining member.12. The surgical instrument of claim 11, wherein: the end effector bodycomprises a proximal portion configured to be received within theretaining member, and wherein the proximal portion of the end effectorbody comprises at least one recess configured to receive the distal endfeature of the cable.
 13. The surgical instrument of claim 11, wherein:the surface of the end effector body abutted by the first portion of theproximal surface of the distal end feature of the cable and the surfaceof the retaining member abutted by the second portion of the proximalsurface of the distal end feature of the cable form contiguous surfaces.14. The surgical instrument of claim 11, wherein contact between theproximal surface of the distal end feature of the cable and the surfaceof the end effector body retains the end effector body on the distal endof the shaft.
 15. The surgical instrument of claim 11, wherein contactbetween the proximal surface of the distal end feature of the cable andthe surface of the retaining member retains the retaining member on thedistal end of the shaft.
 16. The surgical instrument of claim 11,wherein the end effector body is made from a first material with a firstyield strength, and wherein the retaining member is made from a secondmaterial with a second yield strength higher than the first yieldstrength.
 17. The surgical instrument of claim 11, wherein the endeffector body is made from a polymer material.
 18. The surgicalinstrument of claim 11, wherein the retaining member is made from ametallic material.
 19. The surgical instrument of claim 11, wherein theend effector assembly further comprises a cautery hook configured toapply electrosurgical energy.
 20. A method of assembling a surgicalinstrument, the surgical instrument comprising an end effector body anda retaining member, the method comprising: Inserting a distal endfeature of a cable within a recess in the end effector body, the distalend feature extending radially outwardly from the cable; and positioninga retaining member over the recess in the end effector body to retainthe distal end feature of the cable within the retaining member.
 21. Themethod of claim 20, wherein inserting the distal end feature of thecable within the recess in the end effector body comprises positioning aproximal surface of the distal end feature of the cable against ashoulder of the end effector body.
 22. The method of claim 20, whereinpositioning the retaining member over the recess in the end effectorbody comprises positioning a proximal face of the distal end feature ofthe cable against a shoulder of the retaining member.